Chris Paul to miss 6-8 weeks with torn thumb ligament

Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul will undergo surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb and is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks, the team announced Tuesday.

Paul suffered the injury in Monday night's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder after jamming his thumb against Russell Westbrook's body.

The Clippers have struggled mightily without their starting point guard this season, going just 2-5 in the games he was forced to sit.

The nine-time All-Star is in the midst of another terrific season, averaging 17.5 points, 9.7 assists, 2.2 steals, and 5.3 rebounds, while leading the league in ESPN's Real Plus-Minus and win shares per 48 minutes.

Los Angeles has been besieged with injuries this season, losing fellow All-Star Blake Griffin in mid-December to a knee injury.

Backup point guard Austin Rivers will likely see a healthy spike in minutes over the next couple months in Paul's absence.